Saturday, November 21, 2015

MARICOPA, AZ (KPHO/KTVK/AP) - A skydiving student was killed and an instructor was injured in a tandem jump Saturday in Arizona.A malfunction or failure occurred, leading to a hard-impact landing during the jump Saturday morning at Skydive Phoenix in Maricopa.After lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful, firefighters pronounced the 26-year-old female student dead. She has now been identified as Jeriann Henderson."It's just tragic to have a young woman, 26 years old," says Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu. "From what I understand this was her second jump, and it ends this way for her."The instructor, 47-year-old Todd Dimauro, was hospitalized with two broken legs. He is expected to survive. Officials say he has done more than 5,000 jumps."He has over 5,000 jumps under his belt," says Babeu. "And so you have a lot of experience there. Yet this seems very unusual. In tandem, with a student, usually every safety precaution is used. So, we haven't seen this happen in some time." Skydive Phoenix operates a drop zone for skydivers in Maricopa, about 34 miles south of Phoenix.According to a post on the company's Facebook page, the female student was conducting her second jump for their Accelerated Skydiving Program and a main parachute did not deploy.The statement says the reserve parachute turned into the ground.Here's the full company statement:"Skydive Phoenix had an accident today involving a tandem student conducting her second jump of the Accelerated Skydiving Program. Preliminary reports indicate that the main parachute was not deployed.. followed by proper procedures and deployment of the reserve parachute. The reserve parachute was open and flying properly.. But upon landing they encountered turbulence possibly a dust devil turning the parachute into the ground at the last second."The FAA USPA and local authorities have been notified.. and are conducting an independent investigation. Our thoughts and prayers go out to student, instructor and their families. Please respect our privacy and allow the investigation to take its course."The accident occurred northwest of Bowlin and Hidden Valley Roads, according to a tweet from the Pinal County Sheriff's Office."PCSO will conduct the death investigation in conjunction with the Pinal Medical Examiner," Clark said. The FAA will also conduct its own investigation to assure federal regulations were followed."What they'll look at is the equipment. And how it was properly packed," says Babeu. "Every indication we have at this point, it doesn't appear there's anything amiss at all."Story and video: http://www.kpho.com

MARICOPA, AZ - A student who was executing her second tandem jump at Skydive Phoenix died after her main parachute was not deployed and encountered turbulence.
A Pinal County Sheriff's Office representative said a 26-year-old woman was killed and her 40-year-old skydiving instructor suffered two broken legs Saturday morning during a tandem jump at Skydive Phoenix on West Dasher Drive in Maricopa. Authorities told ABC15 Jeriann Henderson was skydiving with her instructor, Tod Dimauro. Dimauro has completed 5,000 dives. Authorities said the skydive team hit the ground after their parachute did not open, and are calling it an accident. In a Facebook post, Skydive Phoenix said the student was in their "Accelerated Skydiving Program". Preliminary reports indicate that the woman's main parachute was not deployed, but the reserve parachute was after "proper procedures" were followed. The reserve parachute was open and "flying properly," the post said. However, when the pair landed they encountered turbulence, including the possibility of a dust devil, which turned the parachute into the ground in the very last moment. Sheriff Paul Babeu of Pinal County said the incident was "very rare, very unusual circumstance that we haven't seen really this happen in some time."The business asks for privacy as the Federal Aviation Administration and the United States Parachute Association conduct independent investigations into the incident. Local authorities are also looking into the incident. Story and video: http://www.abc15.com

NTSB Identification: ERA16LA04514 CFR Part 91: General AviationAccident occurred Saturday, November 21, 2015 in Monroe, NCProbable Cause Approval Date: 10/02/2017Aircraft: PHANTOM AERONAUTICS PHANTOM X 1, registration: N28365Injuries: 1 Serious.NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.According to the noncertificated pilot of the experimental, light-sport airplane, he was flying in formation behind another airplane. As he approached the destination airport and began a turn to set the airplane up for landing, he heard the engine "hiccup," and he increased the throttle; however, the engine then "choked." The pilot increased the pitch attitude of the airplane to climb, but the airplane impacted a tree and then descended to the ground nose first. During a postaccident examination of the airplane and engine, no preimpact mechanical malfunctions were found that would have precluded normal operation. When asked about the loss of engine power, the pilot stated that he thought the "old gas" he brought that day might have been contaminated with water and that this could have contributed to the accident. The fuel tank was ruptured, leaking, and an unmeasured amount of fuel was noted in the tank. No debris was noted in the remaining fuel. The investigation could not determine the effect the fuel had on the engine performance, and the reason for the loss of power could not be determined.The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:The partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB Identification: ERA16LA04514 CFR Part 91: General AviationAccident occurred Saturday, November 21, 2015 in Monroe, NCAircraft: PHANTOM AERONAUTICS PHANTOM X 1, registration: N28365Injuries: 1 Serious.NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.On November 21, 2015, about 1530 eastern standard time, an experimental light sport Phantom Aeronautics Phantom X1, N28365, impacted trees during approach to Edwards Airport (9NC3), Monroe, North Carolina. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The non-certificated pilot incurred serious injuries. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.According to the pilot, he had flow two times earlier in the day without any anomalies. For the accident flight, he and another pilot were flying in formation to 9NC3. As they approached the airport, the other pilot conveyed that he was going to land, and the accident pilot responded that he would "make a slow circle" and then land at the airport. He then began a turn to the right and was overflying trees when he heard the engine "hiccup." He adjusted the throttle and then stated that the engine was "choking." Next, the pilot increased back pressure on the flight control stick in order to gain altitude, "but was already too slow to maintain level flight." The airplane struck a tree, descended "straight down," and impacted the ground nose first.The pilot reported that he did not hold a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman certificate or a medical certificate. However, he had approximately 32 hours of flight experience, of which, all the flight hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane, and 18 hours were in the previous 90 days.According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 2002 and registered to the pilot/owner in 2015. The high wing, single seat, airplane was equipped with a Rotax 582 series, 65-hp engine, that was mounted above and forward of the cockpit. A review of the engine maintenance log indicated that the most recent engine inspection occurred on May 1, 2014, and at that time the engine had accumulated 165.4 total hours of time in service, and 20.8 hours since major overhaul.When asked about the loss of engine power, the pilot stated that he thought the "'old' gas he brought" that day, which might have been contaminated with water. In addition, the pilot reported in the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report, Form 6120.1, under the Operator/Owner Safety Recommendation section of the form that "there had been rain during that week."The airplane came to rest approximately a quarter mile to the northwest from the center of the airport. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane impacted in a right wing low, nose down attitude. The outboard section of the right wing exhibited crush damage and was bent aft. The forward section of the fuselage was impact damaged and bent to the left. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the flight controls to all flight control surfaces. In addition, the engine remained attached to the fuselage; however, all propeller blades were impact separated and located in the vicinity of the main wreckage. The fuel tank was ruptured, leaking, and an unmeasured amount of fuel was noted in the tank. No debris was noted in the remaining fuel. In addition, the fuel lines remained attached to the engine, and there was fuel noted in the lines. There were no other obvious mechanical anomalies observed with the engine.

NTSB Identification: ERA16LA04514 CFR Part 91: General AviationAccident occurred Saturday, November 21, 2015 in Monroe, NCAircraft: PHANTOM AERONAUTICS PHANTOM X 1, registration: N28365Injuries: 1 Serious.This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.On November 21, 2015, about 1530 eastern standard time, a Phantom Aeronautics Phantom X1, N28365, impacted trees near Edwards Airport (9NC3), Monroe, North Carolina. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The non-certificated pilot incurred serious injuries. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the accident, the accident pilot was flying in formation with a similar airplane to 9NC3. After the other airplane landed at 9NC3, the accident pilot began a left turning maneuver to be in position to land. As the airplane descended, the left wing struck trees, and subsequently impacted the ground.Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane impacted in a wing low, nose down attitude. The outboard section of the right wing exhibited crush damage and was bent aft. The forward section of the fuselage was impact damaged and bent to the left. In addition, the engine remained attached to the fuselage; however, all propeller blades were impact separated and located in the vicinity of the main wreckage. An odor similar to fuel was noted at the accident site.

One person was killed Friday afternoon when the Phantom Aeronautics Phantom X1 aircraft he was flying crashed in a wooded area on the outskirts of Monroe.Authorities identified the pilot as Robert William Schroll, 59, of Pageland, S.C., according to WBTV, the Observer’s news partner. The crash happened about 4 p.m. at 4108 Poplin Road in Monroe, city spokesman Pete Hovanec said.In November, Schroll crashed near the same location but survived. He suffered a concussion and neck fractures.This time, witnesses said the plane appeared to lose power and went down into a wooded area roughly between Monroe and Indian Trail.Monroe police and fire departments responded and put out a subsequent fire.The FAA was notified and will handle the overall investigation of the cause and other information related to the crash, Hovanec said. Union County’s medical examiner made arrangements for the body to be sent to Charlotte for an autopsy.Original article can be found here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com

UNION COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - One person was killed Friday when a small aircraft crashed in Union County. The crash happened around 4 p.m. on the 4000 block of Poplin Road. Officials have not released much information, but confirmed that one person was killed in the wreck. That person's name has not been released. From WBTV's Sky 3 the small craft could be seen just outside a wooded area near a mobile home. The aircraft appeared to have caught fire at some point, as the area directly around it was burned.No further information has been released.Original article can be found here: http://www.wbtv.com

Troopers say 58-year-old Richard Schroll from Mayodan, North Carolina, crashed his ultralight plane in the middle of a pasture off Poplin Road.
"Once I got here the actual pilot was laid out on the ground," Trooper Dustin Grieve said. Troopers said Schroll was alert but they said he didn't know his name right after he crashed into this field. He was flown to the hospital.A woman who happened to be driving by and saw it happen spoke to Channel 9. "It was just this plane and it was spiraling down from the sky," she said. Richard Price owns the farm where the crash happened. "It's nothing on the weekends to have these little ultralights, little homemade rigs, flying through," Price said. Schroll received a severe concussion. According to a source in Union County the plane is leaking fuel, but not on fire.The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.Story, video and photos: http://www.wsoctv.com

UNION COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - The Union County Sheriff's Office says the pilot of a ultralight aircraft was taken to the hospital after crashing in Union County.The crash reportedly happened near Poplin Road around 3:30 Saturday afternoon.Officials say the pilot was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. The pilot's condition has not been released.Trooper Dustin Grieve with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the pilot was conscious and alert. He said the man was airlifted to the hospital as more of a precaution than anything else."It definitely could have been a lot worse. There is always that possibility, but we were lucky today that it wasn't as bad as it could have been," said Grieve.Robert Price, the man who owns the property where the plane crashed, said he got a call about the crash Saturday afternoon."This is our farm. This is our home. Toys are replaceable,lives aren't, and that's what we talked about the last 40 minutes on the road-hoping nobody got hurt," said Price.No details have been released about why the ultralight crashed. An investigation is underway.Grieves said troopers will do routine patrols in the area to make sure nobody is taking parts of the plane. He said representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration were being called in to help investigate the crash.

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Dunya News on Saturday obtained medical test reports of pilot of the crash landed Shaheen airline’s flight that indicates high level of alcohol in pilot’s blood, Dunya News reported.According to details, the alcohol level of 83 milligram per deciliter was found in pilot Asmat Mahmood’s blood. This test was carried out by an authentic laboratory on the day of accident.As per the report, the human mind ceases to perform if alcohol level of 100 is found in the blood. The medical experts say that the ability to control the body reduces if the alcohol level is between 50 and 100.The report further says that had it been 17 gram more alcohol, the pilot would have become incapacitated to control the plane.It was also discovered that the blood sample was taken way after the accident occurred. The more delay in time of sampling, the less amount of alcohol will be found.At least 10 passengers were injured in the incident that took place on November 3rd causing damage to the aircraft as the plane veered off the runway, perhaps caused by a tire burst.Shaheen Airlines Flight NL-142, flying from Karachi to Lahore, made the landing at 9.27am at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore.Reports say the tire of the aircraft burst due to a fault in the landing gear, after which the aircraft skidded off the runway. The runway was temporarily shut down with expected flight delays.A total of 167 passengers were on board the aircraft. The injured were provided with immediate medical treatment, however, none was reported to be critical.Source: http://dunyanews.tv

An AscTec Firefly unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, sits on the witness table as Joshua Walden, senior vice president at Interl Corp., center, speaks during a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015.

WASHINGTON — An aviation industry task force is recommending that operators be required to register drones weighing as little as half a pound, a threshold that could include some remote-controlled toys, industry officials said.Federal Aviation Administration officials who convened the 25-member task force on drone registration have said they want to avoid requiring the registration of toys. But the consensus of the task force is that the weight threshold that triggers registration should be set at 250 grams or above, which is about half a pound, said people familiar with its deliberations.The threshold is based on the potential impact a drone that size would have if it fell from the sky and struck a person or if it collided with a helicopter or plane, they said.The recommendations were expected to be submitted to the FAA by today. The FAA then can modify them, and hopes to issue the rules before Christmas to begin registering some of the thousands of drones expected to be purchased over the holidays. One industry official said the target date is Dec. 21.Four people familiar with the advisory group’s deliberations described the conclusions to The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the FAA asked that the discussions be kept private.Drones have become an issue especially around airports. Across America last year, airports were reporting several dozen close calls with drones each month. Now that figure has risen to more than 100 a month, the FAA said.Pilots approaching Teterboro Airport reported at least seven drone sightings between Nov. 13, 2104, and Aug. 20 of this year, according to the most recent FAA report, issued in August. Pilots at Newark Liberty International Airport reported eight drone sightings in that period.So far there have been no accidents, but agency officials have said they’re concerned that even a small drone might cause serious damage if it is sucked into an engine, smashes into an airliner’s windshield or collides with a helicopter’s rotors.The registration requirement would apply to drone operators rather than individual drones to avoid requiring operators who own multiple drones to register more than once. The operator would receive a single registration number, which would then be affixed to the body of each drone.People who already own drones weighing more than a half-pound would have to register them.Registration could be done through an FAA website where a drone operator can provide name, address, phone number and other contact information and receive a registration number.The Consumer Technology Association estimates 700,000 drones will be sold in the U.S. this year, including 400,000 in the last quarter.FAA officials said when they announced the formation of the task force last month that they hoped registration will help create a “culture of accountability” among drone operators and allow owners to be tracked down in the event of an accident.Helicopters are the greatest concern because they frequently fly below 500 feet in the same airspace as small drones, said Jim Williams, the FAA’s former top drone official now at an international law firm with drone-industry clients.There are no studies on how much damage drones of different weight might cause to a helicopter or aircraft engine, he said. “I am not a fan of the weight limit because there’s no science behind it,” Williams said.The weight threshold for drone registration in Europe is about 2 pounds, while Canadian officials are leaning toward a threshold of about 1 pound, industry officials said.Williams said he hopes the FAA will add other requirements to the half-pound threshold that would eliminate most toys from the registration requirement.For example, many drones can navigate independently rather than relying on the operator to be constantly steering, Williams said. Operators can preset waypoints to fly a drone beyond their line of sight. If the waypoints are incorrectly set for an altitude or location where manned aircraft fly, “that’s where the risk really comes from,” he said.Williams said drones that can download real-time video are also a concern, because the operator becomes engrossed in the picture and is distracted. Story and comments: http://www.northjersey.com

Ethiopian Airlines female crew members just took part in an all-female staffed flight to Thailand.

Ethiopian Airlines made history Wednesday night by sending an all-female crew on a flight from Addis Ababa to Bangkok, Thailand.The flight was the first in the 70-year history of the airline in which the whole crew was female. And that was not just the pilots: It included maintenance crew members and air traffic controllers.Females also staffed cabin, ramp and airport operations, as well as onboard logistics, air safety and security jobs.Ethiopian Airlines employee Haymanot Endale is a cabin maintenance technician. She says many women work as flight attendants. But as a technician, she says, she mostly works with men.The airline wanted to diversify and show the world the important jobs African women now hold.Ethiopian Airlines says about one-third of its employees are women.But the number of female pilots is still below 10 percent. Just over 5 percent of all commercial airline pilots in 2010 were women, says the website Women of Aviation Week. In 1973, American Airlines was the first airline to hire a female pilot.As for the first all-female crew, a number of airlines make that claim. A British Air Ferries shuttle from Great Britain to Germany in 1977 had all women in the cockpit. Indian Airlines claimed the first all-female crew on January 15, 1986.But exclusively female crews are becoming common in Africa. Air Zimbabwe sent an all-women crew to the skies last week.Ethiopian Airlines is Africa’s most profitable airline.- Source: http://learningenglish.voanews.com

Kirkwall lifeboat launched just after 1 pm this afternoon after a helicopter carrying 14 people reported engine warning lights on in the cockpit, and requested an emergency landing at Kirkwall airport.The helicopter landed safely, and all emergency services were stood down a short time later.- Source: http://www.orcadian.co.uk

Piper Super Cub on floats comes in for a landing at Lake Hood Floatplane Base in Anchorage.

Have you ever waited for a plane to depart into the bush only to groan when a weather delay is announced? Do you vent your frustration on the customer service employees and the pilot? As a pilot, have you waivered in your decision to fly, only to have your mind changed by the people around you? These scenarios happen everyday in Alaska, but lately are receiving some increased scrutiny.The fall issue of the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation newsletter tackles the issue of pressure and how it can cause pilots to make unsafe decisions. According to Mark Madden, a professor with the University of Alaska Anchorage Aviation Technology program and a Master Flight Instructor, pressure can come from internal and external sources and be very difficult to resist:“Quite often,” writes Madden, “pilots are ‘caught in the middle’ between trying to please someone else like your passengers or perhaps your boss if you’re a commercial pilot, and doing what you know is best and safe. Doing the right thing requires self-discipline and having the courage of your convictions.”It’s difficult to know when pressure—either internal or external—is a factor in a crash however because it affects each pilot differently. Was a pilot who overloaded her aircraft after a hunting trip pressured by friends to do so or simply eager to fit everything into the fewest trips possible? Did a newly-hired pilot who took off in marginal conditions feel pressure to prove to his co-workers that he was up to their unwritten standards or did he blithely assume he was as capable as they were of completing the flight in unfamiliar territory?How often are Alaskan pilots, whether flying professionally or for themselves, persuaded to take chances because of the influence from others or their own misconceptions about what flying in Alaska supposedly entails?Effectively tracking evidence of pressure among pilots is impossible, but the National Transportation Safety Board has studied the issue among Alaskan commercial operators in the past, producing two reports in 1980 and 1995. In both, based on information gathered from surveys, the NTSB noted external sources as passengers, the delivery policies of the U.S. Postal Service and unsafe corporate cultures among employers. It also looked at the more ambiguous “bush pilot syndrome,” a combination of the universal internal pressure known as “get-home-itus”, and the mindset more unique to Alaska aviation that encapsulates the glory-seeking Last Frontier mythology and the legendary heroics of the early bush pilots. It's this aspect of the syndrome that has lead many to believe flying here is inherently dangerous and thus requires a level of risk-taking on behalf of all pilots.Evidence of bush pilot syndrome and other sources of pressure can be detected in the subtle language of accident investigations and news reports such as when a Flight Service Station tells the NTSB that a pilot mentioned passengers getting impatient shortly before departing into marginal weather and crashing or pilots in a line of aircraft recall hearing the pilot in the rear report that she was struggling to keep up with them before crashing into the terrain.It is willingness among the members of the Alaska aviation community to address pressure as a serious safety concern that will likely have the most significant impact on the problem. Frank discussion on the topic among pilots, such as at the upcoming AASF fall safety seminar, will resonate more than anything else and positively affect future decision-making. “Set your personal minimums (ceiling/visibility, risk assessment score) before you fly and stick to them,” wrote AASF Chairman Harry Kieling in the newsletter. This sentiment is echoed by Madden in his article: "Don’t be concerned about letting someone down because you’ve determined the requested load for the airplane exceeds the aircraft’s design capabilities. Don’t be concerned about letting someone down because the weather is unacceptable to launch. Instead, be concerned about letting someone down because you knowingly are willing to take unnecessary chances."Original article can be found here: https://www.adn.com

A 1997 DASSAULT-FALCON 900 (tail number N910EX) on display. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association holds an aviation jobs rally at Dassault Falcon's jet facility on Friday highlighting the industry's economic and jobs impact in the state. Elected officials join folks from Dassault Falcon, FlightSafety International, PATS Aircraft and Summit Aviation.

Aviation executives and state political leaders said Friday the industry is growing in Delaware despite a recent report ranking the First State middle of all states in terms of total employment and per capita economic impact."Obviously Delaware is doing something right because the general aviation sector just keeps growing here, but we can do more," said U.S. Sen. Chris Coons at a rally to support the industry in Delaware.The event, organized by the industry trade group General Aviation Manufacturers Association, or GAMA, was held at the New Castle Airport. Other political leaders who attended the event included Gov. Jack Markell, Sen. Tom Carper and Rep. John Carney. Aviation executives who spoke were Stephen Gross, vice president of sales at FlightSafety International, John Rosanvallon, President and CEO of Dassault Falcon Jet, and Ralph Kunz, vice-president and general manager of Summit Aviation.GAMA has organized similar rallies in 14 states.Speakers said the aviation manufacturing industry has benefited the Delaware economy, creating 2,600 jobs and generating $588 million in annual economic output. That ranks Delaware 26th among U.S. states on a per capita basis, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers study released in February based on 2013 data.In terms of total per capita gross domestic product impact, Delaware again finished in the middle. The $316 million generated on a per capital basis also placed Delaware 26th among states.The study also ranked Delaware near the bottom in terms of total labor income impact at $43 million. Only the District of Columbia, Wyoming and Rhode Island saw less of an impact from the aviation industry. Delaware also finished ahead of only nine states in terms of total industry employment as a percentage of the state economy. Roughly 0.5 percent of all Delaware workers are in aviation.Markell said after the rally Delaware needs to be evaluated on a per capita basis because of its size. He also said the industry has grown in Delaware since the study was completed."If you think about where we were a few years ago and look at the growth of these companies," he said.The governor highlighted Dassault Falcon, a French company that provides hanger space, maintenance and fuel to charter services. Since arriving at New Castle Airport 15 years, the company has grown to employ 400 people within the state.FlightSafety, meanwhile, a manufacturer of flight simulators to train pilots, has brought 6,000 students a year to Delaware. That translates into money spent on hotel rooms, meals, airfares and rental cars, pumping $50 million into the state."That is real dollars to the Delaware economy," said FlightSafety's Gross.Markell said these and other companies are in Delaware because of the state's commitment to aviation. He cited Delaware Technical Community College's aviation training facility at the Sussex County Airport. Students in the training program will learn aviation maintenance and other technical skills."These guys could go in a heartbeat," the governor said. "They could be at any airport in the country and they are staying here and growing."An often repeated theme at the rally was need for skilled workers for high-paying jobs in the industry."Our industry is in peril," said Summit's Kunz. "We do not have enough young people coming to the industry. If your nieces and nephews, sons and daughters are going to college we can employ them as engineers, in business and as analysts. If they are not college bound we can employ them as mechanics."Coons agreed with Kunz, noting every company involved in the rally is currently hiring."These can between 20-to-40 dollar an hour jobs," he said. "These are jobs you can raise a family on."Story and photo gallery: http://www.delawareonline.com

TUPELO – Corporate Flight Management, one of four airlines bidding to provide air service in Tupelo, is presenting its case to the public Monday.The company, based out of the middle Tennessee city of Smyrna, is flying one of its Jetstream planes to Tupelo Regional Airport to show it to airport and city officials, as well as anyone interested in hearing its case.The presentation will start at 11 a.m. at the airport terminal.The Jetstream plane CFM uses seats up to 19 people, but should it win the bid to provide service, it said it would renovate the planes to accommodate nine passengers.In addition, the Jetstream is a twin-engine aircraft.The bids from the other airlines: Air Choice One, Boutique Air and Sun Air, are either single-engine Cessna Grand Caravan or Pilatus planes.Corporate Flight Management is offereing three options from Tupelo, all of which connect with Nashville with 30, 18 or 12 weekly roundtrip flights.CFM is asking for an annual subsidy of $4.29 million (for 30 flights), $2.97 million (18 flights) or $2.34 million (12 flights).The company says it has “six Jetstream 31/32 aircraft in its fleet, providing ample reserve capacity to address planned and unplanned requirements. CFM also operates four Jetstream 41 aircraft configured with 30-passenger seats.”Corporate Flight Management was formed in July 1982, with annual revenue of almost $40 million and employing more than 175 employees.Earlier this week, Sun Air presented its case at a private meeting.Sun Air is partnering with Memphis-based Southern Airways.Sun Air proposes to have three daily flights from Tupelo to Atlanta and two daily flights to Memphis Monday-Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, the airline will provide one flight each day to each city.The company is asking for an annual subsidy of $2.89 million.While Sun Air will provide the aircraft, Southern Air will handle marketing and the ground operations from its hub in Memphis as well as provide the personnel to manage the station in Tupelo.

http://registry.faa.gov/N86NWhttp://priceside.com/N86NWNTSB Identification: CEN14FA278 14 CFR Part 91: General AviationAccident occurred Saturday, June 07, 2014 in Duluth, MNProbable Cause Approval Date: 11/19/2015Aircraft: HERMANN BJORN LANCAIR IV, registration: N86NWInjuries: 1 Fatal.NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.The pilot/owner was ferrying the airplane from the United States to Europe, and he had installed an auxiliary fuel bladder in place of the rear seat. Before takeoff, the airplane's fuel tanks were topped off, and 60 gallons of fuel were added to the auxiliary fuel bladder. The estimated weight of the airplane during takeoff was about 509 lbs over its maximum gross weight. The estimated center of gravity (CG) of the airplane was 93.2, which was near the aft limit of the CG range. The flight departed in marginal visual flight rules conditions and, soon after takeoff, climbed into instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions while passing through 1,000 ft above ground level. Air traffic control (ATC) cleared the pilot to fly a northeasterly heading and climb to 12,000 ft, but the pilot did not acknowledge the instruction, and radar track data indicated that the airplane turned right within 1 minute after departure. ATC instructed the pilot to turn back on course, and the pilot complied. The airplane continued on course for about 1.5 minutes, but then it turned right again while still in a climb. ATC instructed the pilot to turn back on course, but the pilot did not respond. The airplane continued to turn right, reached a maximum altitude of about 6,600 ft, and then entered a steep, descending right turn. ATC instructed the pilot to climb immediately, but there was no response, and the airplane continued the steep descending turn and impacted a lake about 5 minutes after departure. A comparison of the radar track data with the flight data recovered from the airplane's primary flight display (PFD) and multifunction display revealed discrepancies between the two data sources regarding airspeed, bank angle, heading, wind speed, and wind direction, indicating that erroneous information was being displayed on the PFD during the flight. Specifically, the flight data indicated periods of straight and level flight when the radar track data indicated the airplane was banking and changing heading. The erroneous information would have made it difficult for the pilot to control the airplane and navigate effectively in IFR conditions. The reason for the erroneous flight data could not be determined. The pilot's toxicology report indicated 0.146 ug/ml diphenhydramine (a sedating antihistamine) in cavity blood, which was above the therapeutic range of 0.0250 to 0.1120 ug/ml. Although diphenhydramine undergoes postmortem redistribution, the postmortem level detected suggests that the pilot likely had impairing levels of diphenhydramine in his system at the time of the accident. To maintain control of the airplane, the pilot would have needed to recognize that the PFD display was faulty and use the information from the standby attitude indicator, turn and bank indicator, and magnetic compass. However, it is likely that diphenhydramine, which impairs cognitive and psychomotor performance, diminished the pilot's ability to recognize and manage the erroneous PFD indications. The pilot's failure to acknowledge the clearance to turn to the northeast and climb to 12,000 feet only a few seconds after he initiated contact with ATC suggests that his attention was diverted for some reason about that time. The pilot verbally acknowledged and responded to a subsequent call to return to course. However, after about 1.5 minutes the airplane again deviated from course and entered a steep descending turn, most likely due to the pilot experiencing spatial disorientation as a result of the erroneous heading and bank angle information on the PFD and his ineffective use of standby flight instruments in restricted visibility conditions. The airplane's aft CG and over gross weight condition would have reduced the airplane's longitudinal stability, and this likely also contributed to the loss of control. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while operating in instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions, which was due to spatial disorientation resulting from erroneous heading and bank angle information shown on the primary flight display. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's impairment due to diphenhydramine and his improper decision to operate in IFR conditions with the airplane over gross weight and at an aft center of gravity.

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 7, 2014, about 1121 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built, Hermann Bjorn Lancair IV, N86NW, was destroyed when it impacted Lake Superior after departing from the Duluth International Airport (DLH), Duluth, Minnesota. The pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to A.O. Engineering Inc. and operated by the pilot under the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The airplane departed DLH about 1116, and was en route to Goose Bay (YYR), Newfoundland, Canada.The DLH air traffic control (ATC) transcript of the recorded radio conversations between ATC and the pilot indicated that the tower controller cleared the airplane to depart runway 9 and climb to 6,000 ft on a heading of 060 degrees. At 1117:24, the pilot contacted departure control. Departure control instructed the pilot to turn left and fly direct to Thunder Bay (YQT), and climb and maintain 12,000 ft. The pilot did not acknowledge this instruction. At 1117:25, the radar track data indicated the airplane was heading northeast at 4,467 ft at an airspeed of 131kts.At 1118:00, departure control stated, "November 86 November Whiskey turn left fly heading 030 please." The pilot responded, "November Whisky left turn. Sorry about that." At 1118:03, the radar track data indicated the airplane was heading to the southeast at 4,689 ft at an airspeed of 167 kts.At 1118:31, departure control stated, "And, ah Lancair 6 November Whiskey, it will be direct Yankee Quebec Tango present position. Direct present position." The pilot responded, "Present position direct Yankee Quebec Tango." There were no further recorded radio transmissions from the pilot. At 1118:31, the radar track data indicated that the airplane was heading to the northeast at 5,011 ft at 152 kts. The airplane continued on a northeasterly heading until 1119:46 when it started to turn right to a southeasterly heading.At 1120:14, the airplane was heading to the south, southeast at 6,050 ft at 161 kts. At 1120:17, departure control stated, "November 86 November Whiskey, I still show you, ah, heading southeast bound. Verify you're direct to Yankee Quebec Tango."At 1120:33, the airplane was heading to the south at 6,350 ft at 118 kts. At 1120:34, departure control stated, "November 86 November Whiskey, it appears you're heading southbound now. Ah, verify you're direct to Yankee Quebec Tango please."At 1120:52, the airplane's last radar return was recorded. It indicated that the airplane was heading southbound at 2,400 ft at 201 kts.At 1120:56, departure control stated, "November 86 November Whiskey, ah. Low altitude alert. Check your altitude. Immediately climb and maintain three thousand, immediately."At 1121:05, departure control stated, "(unintelligible) 86 November Whiskey, climb. Altitude. Immediately maintain six, ah, maintain three thousand, three thousand."The airplane impacted Lake Superior about 1 mile offshore from Brighton Beach, in Duluth, Minnesota. The airplane wreckage was located in 137 ft of water. The body of the pilot was retrieved from the wreckage on June 9, 2014.PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot was a 47 year-old German citizen who held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument airplane ratings. He held a third class medical certificate dated October 16, 2013, with the limitation for corrective lenses. The pilot's flight logbook was not obtained during the investigation. During his medical examination in October 16, 2013, the pilot reported that his total flight time was 2,500 hours. He had an estimated 22 hours of flight time in the accident airplane.A witness who knew the pilot for 15 years reported that the pilot was an accomplished general aviation pilot with about 3,000 flight hours. He reported that the accident pilot had purchased a Mooney M20F in 1998 and had made several overseas flights in it, including trips across the South Atlantic and North Atlantic routes.Aircraft records indicated that the accident pilot purchased the airplane on November 4, 2013. Witnesses who lived in Bend, Oregon, where the airplane was kept in a hangar, reported that the accident pilot received about 3 – 4 hours of airplane ground instruction after he purchased the airplane. It was not determined if the pilot received any dual flight instruction in the airplane. Witness statements and fuel receipts indicated that the accident pilot flew the airplane in December, January, February, and June, including a round trip flight from Bend, Oregon, to Las Vegas, Nevada.On June 6, 2014, the day before the accident flight, the pilot flew the airplane from Bend, Oregon, to DLH. The time en route was about 4 hours and 32 minutes. The pilot planned to fly to YYR on the day of the accident. Flight planning documents indicated that the pilot planned to fly to Baden Airpark (EDSB) in Rheinmunster, Germany.AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe airplane was an experimental, amateur-built, Hermann Bjorn Lancair IV, serial number LIV-552, manufactured in 2005. The airplane was powered by a 750 shaft-horsepower Walter turbo-prop engine manufactured in 1992. The engine was subsequently rebuilt and reconfigured as a Walter XM601E-Prototype with a new serial number of 921012EX in 2003 identifying it as being manufactured specifically for the Lancair installation. The propeller was an Avia propeller which had a steel hub with three aluminum blades. The last conditional maintenance inspection was conducted on September 20, 2013, with a total airframe time of 666.3 hours.The airplane was equipped with two Chelton CFR Sierra-SV Synthetic Vision Integrated Display Units (IDUs) used for primary flight display (PFD) and multifunction display (MFD), an Avidyne FlightMax Entegra MFD, and Garmin 530 and Garmin 430 radio and nav/com units. In addition, the airplane was equipped with standby flight instruments which included an airspeed indicator, attitude indicator, altimeter, and turn and bank indicator located in the center of the instrument panel.The accident pilot installed a rubber auxiliary fuel bladder in the back seat of the airplane. The accident pilot sent an email dated March 17, 2014, that he expected that a new bladder tank from TurtlePac should arrive at the hangar where the airplane was kept. It's uncertain when the pilot installed the fuel bladder, but it was observed in the airplane prior to the accident. The lineman at the fixed base operator at DLH reported that the black colored fuel bladder located in the back seat was filled with 60 gallons of fuel on the morning of June 7, 2014. Both wing fuel tanks were also topped off. The fuel receipt showed that a total of 136 gallons of fuel was added to the airplane before the accident flight.Witnesses and the pilot's emails indicated that the pilot was having autopilot problems with the airplane. The pilot wrote an email dated June 6, 2014, to the hangar owner in Bend, Oregon, which stated, "I am in town since Thursday and working on the plane. One problem solved, the next showing up. Right now the autopilot tries to kill me. Flying straight and level high speed my electric trim buddy pushes or pulls all of a sudden. Very bad feeling, even worse that the auto-trim is on his side. I will meet RDD in Redmond early in the morning, begging for help."The owner of RDD (an aviation maintenance facility) in Redmond, Oregon, stated that he received a phone call from the pilot concerning the problems he was having with the autopilot. The accident pilot flew the airplane to Redmond about 0730 on June 6, 2014. The pilot indicated that the airplane was experiencing violent pitch ups. RDD diagnosed the problem as an auto-trim reverse sensing which caused the nose to trim up or down which was backward from what was required. The fix took less than 20 minutes. All that was required was to flip a switch on the auto-trim module. After the work was completed, the accident pilot flew back to Bend, Oregon. The pilot did not tell the owner of RDD that he was going to fly to DLH on the same day. The owner of RDD stated that he received a text message from the accident pilot later that night that stated that the autopilot was working much better.The accident pilot wrote an email dated June 6, 2014, at 7:00 PM to the hangar owner in Bend, Oregon, which stated, "I took a chance today to start the ferry flight. Right now I am in Duluth, MN. Tomorrow aiming for Goose Bay. I have still my back seat in your hangar. Probably will fly next spring or I find another way to pick it up asap."The airplane which seated four was made of primarily of composite materials and had a maximum gross weight of 3,800 pounds. The estimated weight and balance of the aircraft indicated that the aircraft takeoff weight on the accident flight was 4,309 lbs., which was 509 lbs. over the maximum gross weight of the aircraft. The estimated center of gravity (CG) of the aircraft was 93.2, which was within the CG range of the aircraft of flight stations 86.5 - 94.5.METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONAt 1102, the surface weather observation at DLH was: wind 080 at 4 kts; 10 miles visibility; scattered clouds 700 feet; overcast ceiling 2,500 feet; temperature 12 degrees C; dew point 9 degrees C; altimeter 30.06 inches of mercury.At 1122, the surface weather observation at DLH was: wind 140 at 9 kts; 10 miles visibility; scattered clouds 300 feet; broken ceiling 1,000 feet; overcast ceiling 2,700 feet; temperature 11 degrees C; dew point 10 degrees C; altimeter 30.06 inches of mercury; ceiling variable 700 feet to 1,100 feet.At 1132, the surface weather observation at DLH was: wind 120 at 6 kts; 10 miles visibility; ceiling 300 feet broken; overcast 1,000 feet; temperature 11 degrees C; dew point 10 degrees C; altimeter 30.07 inches of mercury.A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) weather specialist reported that computer modeling of weather data indicated that clouds were likely from the surface through at least 32,000 feet above mean sea level (msl), with icing conditions likely starting at 10,000 feet msl and above at the time of the accident. The winds aloft from 3,000 to 6,000 feet were between 12 to 18 kts from the northeast.WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe airplane wreckage was recovered from Lake Superior on June 23, 2014, and relocated to a St. Louis County maintenance facility located in Duluth, Minnesota, for examination. The wings, horizontal stabilizer, and much of the composite fuselage structure of the airplane were not recovered; as such, flight control continuity could not be verified. The engine, propeller, landing gear, cockpit instrument panel, instruments, cabin floor structure, seats, interior pieces, vertical stabilizer, rudder, and various aircraft parts were recovered and examined.The engine was removed from the remaining airframe and a cursory inspection of the engine was performed. The engine and propeller were shipped to the GE Aviation Czech (GEAC) factory in Prague, Czech Republic, for examination. The propeller was transferred to the Avia factory facility in Prague, Czech Republic, for a teardown examination.An Avidyne Flight Max Integra Multi-function display (MFD) and two Chelton IDUs were sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders division for examination.The rudder bellcrank, the rudder spherical bearings, and a section of the lower rudder were sent to the NTSB Materials laboratory for examination.The rudder trim was found in a right rudder trim position with about 1/2 inch deflection. The electric rudder servo motor was tested by using a 9-volt dc power source. It exhibited full travel when power was applied.MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATIONAn autopsy of the pilot was conducted on June 10, 2014, at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine in Duluth, Minnesota. The "Cause of Death" was noted as the "result of multiple severe impact injuries." A Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report was prepared by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute. The results were negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol. The toxicological report indicated that 0.146 (ug/ml, ug/g) diphenhydramine was detected in the blood (cavity).Diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine used to treat allergies and as a sleep aid. It is available over the counter under various names including Benadryl and Unisom. Diphenhydramine carries the following warning: may impair mental and/or physical ability required for the performance of potentially hazardous tasks (e.g., driving, operating heavy machinery). The therapeutic range for the drug is 0.0250 to 0.1120 ug/ml.The pilot's FAA medical certification examination did not identify any medical concerns or natural disease. His autopsy identified mild cardiomegaly with left ventricular enlargement and mild coronary atherosclerosis, but no evidence of heart muscle damage or other natural disease. Toxicology testing detected diphenhydramine in cavity blood at 0.146 ug/ml.TESTS AND RESEARCHOn August 19, 2014, the engine and propeller were examined under NTSB oversight in Prague, Czech Republic. The engine examination revealed that the power turbine was intact; however the hub was rotationally scored on both faces. The leading edges of all the blades were rotationally scored and bent aft. The gas generator turbine was intact and the blade tips were circumferentially scored with metal transfer evident on the convex sides of the tip, consistent with contact against the gas generator turbine shroud. Additionally, there were randomly distributed bright shiny flakes deposited on the convex side of some of the blades, which is consistent with a metal spray condition. The compressor rotor, consisting of two axial compressors and one centrifugal impeller was intact. The axial compressor blades were intact and the tips were circumferentially scored consistent with contact against their respective shroud elements. The impeller vanes were rotationally scored, consistent with contact against the impeller shroud. The compressor and impeller shrouds exhibited rotational scoring.The propeller examination revealed that the Nos. 1 and 2 blades were bent aft at the mid-span to a bend angle of about 90 degrees, with no evidence of blade twisting. The No. 3 blade had a slight bend with no evidence of blade twisting deformation. The No. 1 piston guide was slightly dented at a location which indicated that the blade pitch at impact was 15 degrees, a low angle corresponding to the hydraulic low pitch stop. This, in turn, corresponded to a low power setting of the engine.The NTSB Materials laboratory examined the rudder bellcrank, the rudder spherical bearings, and a section of the lower rudder and vertical stabilizer bulkhead. The examination revealed that the rudder bellcrank was comprised of a left arm and a right arm. On each arm, there were attachment points for a control cable input and a rod output. There were two holes in the vertical stabilizer bulkhead that allowed the rods to connect to the forward rudder spar via an attachment fitting. The right and left rods were fractured. Pieces of the right and left rods were attached to the rudder and a piece of the right rod was attached to the bellcrank. By contrast, there was no corresponding piece of the left rod attached to the bellcrank. A closer examination of the right rod fracture surfaces revealed that they did not match; indicating that the right rod had fractured in two or more locations and an intermediate section had been separated and was not recovered. An examination of the bellcrank revealed a deformation mark on the forward portion of the right arm in the vicinity of the bellcrank stop.The left and right rod fracture surfaces were visually examined using a stereomicroscope. The fracture surface on the left rod piece attached to the rudder consisted of inclined slant fractures, and no apparent out-of-plane deformation, consistent with a tensile overstress fracture. The right rod had collapsed near each fracture. The initially circular tube cross sections had deformed by elongating in one direction and collapsing in the other direction. The rod end at the forward end of the right rod (attached to the bellcrank via a rod end bearing) was bent. The features were consistent with overload by compressive buckling.The NTSB Vehicle Recorders laboratory examined the Avidyne FlightMax Entegra MFD removable compact flash card. While the compact flash card successfully read, it did not contain any recorded information. Avidyne confirmed that the Entegra does not record any information when installed in an experimental, turbine aircraft.The NTSB Vehicle Records laboratory examined the accident pilot's Nokia C5 cell phone that was found in the airplane wreckage. The Nokia cell phone turned on, but the screen was damaged and no further recovery attempts were attempted.Two Chelton IDUs were recovered from the accident aircraft and sent the NTSB Vehicle Records laboratory for examination. The units sustained minor impact and water damage. The units integrate multiple primary flight instruments including airspeed, altitude, electronic compass, turn rate, bank angle, pitch angle, vertical speed, and an optional slip/skid ball. They can also function as a navigation and engine display. They may integrate with external components, including a GPS/Air Data/AHRS. Units are typically installed in pairs, providing PFD and MFD capabilities.

The units are capable of recording a log of aircraft parameters at a rate of 1 sample per second to an internal PCMCIA card. The parameters recorded depend upon installation and include primary flight instrument data, GPS position data, AHRS data, and engine data.The current log file "LOG00.DAT," was retrieved from the download of each Chelton IDU unit. The "LOG00.DAT" file from the unit with serial number 292 contained recorded data on June 7, 2014 between 16:00:16 universal coordinated time (UTC) and 16:20:53 UTC. The file recorded primary flight instrument data, GPS position data, AHRS data, and engine data. There were about 20 additional log files of prior flights, four of which were recorded on June 6, 2014. For the accident flight, 5 hours were subtracted from UTC to convert to CDT.The data showed that the aircraft departed from KDLH, climbed towards Lake Superior with intermediate level offs, exhibited fluctuations in pitch, speed, and roll, and then descended rapidly and crashed into Lake Superior. The maximum altitude attained was 6,607 ft with an indicated airspeed (IAS) of 94 kts, which was the minimum recorded IAS after the initial departure climb. Thereafter, the IAS increased and the aircraft descended, reaching a maximum recorded IAS of 262 kts about 6 seconds before the end of the recording. On the prior flight from Bend, Oregon, to Duluth, Minnesota, the day before the accident, the roll, heading, and course each oscillated about +/-10 degrees for about an hour in cruise flight. See the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Division's report "Electronic Devices" in the docket material associated with this investigation for further details. The NTSB's Vehicle Performance Division conducted an airplane performance study which described the accident airplane ground track, altitude, and speed, as well as the timing of select radio communication between ATC and N86NW, including estimates of airplane pitch, roll, and heading derived from radar, as well as airplane and engine data recovered from the Chelton IDUs. The study compared the data derived from radar and the Chelton IDU's log data. The Chelton log data is the data being displayed to the pilot on the PFD.The study indicated that during two periods about 30 seconds in length during the accident flight (the first centered around 16:17:40 and the second at16:19:50) the radar-derived airspeed exceeded the airspeed recorded in the log file by 10 to 20 kts. During approximately the same time frame, the radar-derived bank angle exceeded the bank recorded in the log file by as much as 25 degrees (i.e., more right-wing-down). Additionally, the recorded log data bank angle is different than the heading shown by the radar data. During the first 30 second period centered at 16:17:40, the log data shows little or no bank, while the heading derived from radar data showed the airplane turning to the south/right.The other notable difference in the comparison was between the heading derived from radar and that recorded in the log file. For nearly two minutes, early in the flight, the log file heading was 20 degrees to 25 degrees more airplane-nose-left than that estimated from radar. From 16:19:20 until the end of the data the log file heading was upwards of 45 degrees more airplane-nose-right than that estimated from radar.The Chelton log files recorded the groundspeed, wind speed, and wind direction during the flight. During the climb to 6,600 ft msl, the wind speed varied between 5 and 88 kts. Wind direction in the log varied counterclockwise from 360 degrees to 203 degrees, and then back (clockwise) to 338 degrees. It then continued clockwise from 338 degrees to 247 degrees when the data ended. This represented over a 360 degree change in wind direction (i.e., 203 degrees clockwise to 247 degrees) in less than three minutes. See the NTSB Vehicle Performance Division's report "Airplane Performance Study" in the docket material associated with this investigation for further details.The airplane was equipped with a Crossbow 500 Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) interfaced with the Chelton IDU. The Crossbow 500 is a nine-axis measurement system that combines linear accelerometers, rotational rate sensors, and magnetometers. It uses the angular rate sensors to integrate over the rotational motion and find the actual pitch, roll, and yaw angles. It uses the accelerometers to correct for rate sensor drift in the vertical angles (pitch and roll); and uses magnetometers to correct for rate sensor drift in the yaw angle. According to the manufacturer (MEMSIC, Inc.) the Crossbow 500 was manufactured as a TSO'd (technical standard order) device requiring proper installation and calibration procedures. The Crossbow 500 was located near the 208 bulkhead. The magnetometer (which senses the earth's magnetic lines of flux and converts it to a heading and provides the heading information to the AHRS) was located in the empennage near the horizontal stabilizer. A magnetometer is sensitive to magnetic interference and can be influenced by ferrous metals like AN bolts, control rod ends, any 4130 steel, seat belts, unshielded electrical wires, and antenna cables. There was no indication in the maintenance logbooks that the AHRS and magnetometer had been recalibrated after it had been initially calibrated during the manufacture of the airplane.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On June 7, 2014, about 1123 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Lancair IV, N86NW, was destroyed when it impacted Lake Superior after departing from the Duluth International Airport (KDLH), Duluth, Minnesota. The pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to A.O. Engineering Inc. and operated by the pilot under the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The airplane departed KDLH about 1115, and was en route to Goose Bay (CYYR), Newfoundland, Canada.

The airplane departed KDLH and was cleared direct to Thunder Bay (YQT) during the initial climb to altitude on a northeasterly heading. The airplane climbed to about 6,600 feet above mean sea level (msl), and appeared to be turning to the right on a more southbound course. The pilot was again cleared direct to YQT. The airplane continued to descend and radar contact was lost about 7 nautical miles (nm) east of KDLH at 2,500 feet msl. A low altitude alert was provided and the airplane was instructed to climb to 3,000 feet msl; however, there were no radio transmissions from the pilot. The airplane impacted Lake Superior about 1 nm offshore from Brighton Beach, in Duluth, Minnesota.

The airplane wreckage was located in 137 feet of water. The body of the pilot was retrieved from the wreckage on July 9, 2014.

The remains of a Lancair IV Propjet airplane was raised from Lake Superior in June 2014.

A gurney bearing the body of the pilot killed on June 7, 2014 in a plane crash in Lake Superior is wheeled to a waiting medical examiner's van at McQuade Small Craft Harbor June 9, 2014. Divers recovered the body from 137 feet of water earlier in the day, but were unable to recover the plane's wreckage as they had planned.

Search and retrieve: braving the waters of Superior

It’s a cloudy, cool day when divers Jay Hanson and Dan Goyen break the surface of Lake Superior. Dressed in layer upon layer of thermal clothing with traditional dry suits, they attempt to keep out the cold. Despite the insulating layers, the water starts to chill the divers to the bone after 30 minutes underwater at a depth of 140 feet. Anywhere between 36 and 38 degrees, the water isn’t freezing, but it’s close.But they aren’t at the bottom of Superior for fun. They’re there to retrieve the body of Alexander Georg Obersteg, a pilot who crashed into Lake Superior June 7.The duo took three minutes diving to the bottom and spent 35 minutes among the plane wreckage. They spent another 40 minutes doing various decompressions on their way back to the surface.“Deeper dives require in-water decompressions where you can’t just come to surface,” said Hanson. “Depending how much time we spend on the bottom, we have to stop at different depths — 30, 20 and 10 feet — to allow nitrogen to leave body without getting decompression sickness.”Hanson and Goyen were chosen for the retrieval mission based on their skill and comfort levels while diving to this potentially-dangerous depth.Hanson, who owns Superior SCUBA Center in Duluth, found his passion for exploring underwater worlds at age 10. What started as daring leaps off the end of a dock, dressed in his uncle’s SCUBA gear, became a life-long passion for underwater exploration.“It’s kind of my happy place,” said Hanson. “Most people prefer diving in warm, tropical water, but I prefer the Great Lakes and shipwreck hunting.”Hanson has discovered a number of wrecks and has a passion for maritime history. “My most memorable dive was diving for the first time on Robert Wallace,” he said.The Robert Wallace is a wooden iron ore carrier that sank in 1902 and was finally discovered in 2006. Divers had spent years searching for it. “To see something nobody has seen for 100 years or more was pretty incredible,” Hanson said.The recovery of the pilot was a dive of difficulties. “In recovery or public safety, anything can go wrong and often does,” said Hanson. “Regardless of how tight the plan is, you can’t plan for every contingency; you have to react. The dives always seem to work out in the end. We thought we’d get the plane back, but you take what you can get and move forward from there.”And when Lake Superior is added into the picture, success is never guaranteed.“When you learn to dive in Lake Superior, you can dive anywhere,” said Goyen. “The lake has extremely harsh conditions.”Because of his 14 year experience, Goyen was selected to be one of two divers to investigate the wreckage of the downed plane.“Conditions were cold; the water was 36 degrees with an eight-foot visibility,” Goyen said. “Nearing the bottom of the lake, there was nearly zero visibility.”Although Goyen has done similar work before and has done extensive training on body recovery, the initial reality was harsh.“This was my very first underwater body recovery,” said Goyen. “I’ve been in shipwreck recoveries before where I didn’t think I was going to get out, but this dive was my most memorable.”Goyen felt a sense of relief and solace after completing the dive, as it was a reminder of the uncertainty of life.“I have seen remains in shipwrecks in the past,” Goyen said. “My primary concern is for the closure for the family. Mentally, I was prepared for it and it’s easier to deal with knowing you are helping out a family.”Goyen, who takes around 100 dives a year, was humbled by the experience, but still excited to follow his passion for underwater exploring. Hanson feels the same way, especially when he remembers other great dives with people like Goyen.“We had a really good team, everyone worked well together, helped negate little problems and made things go more smoothly,” said Hanson. “It was a team effort, and I like to make sure everyone has their moment in the sun.”The light started to shine into the eyes of the divers as they slowly swam back up to the surface. Cold water hugging their insulated suits, the men have finished their somber mission. Closure of the day, the body found, a sense of relief sets in. Although the mission wasn’t overly long, the memory of what they found and the impact of their actions will stay fresh and true forever.Source: http://www.duluthbudgeteer.com

DULUTH, Minn. -- The pilot who died when his airplane crashed into Lake Superior on Saturday has been identified as Alexander Georg Obersteg, 47, of Steinfeld, Germany.
A St. Louis County medical examiner's report found that Obersteg died of injuries suffered in the crash and not as a result of a medical emergency prior to impact.Obersteg is believed to have been the only occupant of the plane, which went down 1.2 miles off Brighton Beach on Saturday morning, according to a report from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office. He had taken off from Duluth International Airport after arriving from Bend, Ore., and is believed to have been headed to Goose Bay, Labrador, en route to the ultimate destination of his hometown in Germany.The cause of the crash remains undetermined, and the Federal Aviation Administration continues to investigate.Obersteg was flying a Lancair IV, a single-engine kit-built airplane.The plane's wreckage, which came to rest in about 137 feet of water, has yet to be recovered, but authorities are making plans to retrieve the craft.

The identity of the pilot who died when his airplane crashed into Lake Superior on Saturday has been released.
A St. Louis County medical examiner’s report found that pilot Alexander Georg Obersteg, 47, of Steinfeld, Germany, died of injuries sustained in the crash and not as a result of a medical emergency prior to impact.Obersteg is believed to have been the only occupant of the plane which went down 1.2 miles off Brighton Beach at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 7, according to a report from the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. He had taken off from Duluth International Airport and is believed to have been headed to Goose Bay, Labrador, en route to the ultimate destination of his hometown in Germany.

The cause of the crash still has not been determined, and the Federal Aviation Administration continues to investigate the fatal incident. Obersteg was behind the stick of a Lancair IV, a single-engine kit-built airplane when the accident occurred.

The wreckage of the plane, which came to rest in about 137 feet of water, has yet to be recovered, but authorities are laying plans to retrieve the craft.

Authorities have found the body of the pilot and wreckage of the plane that crashed into Lake Superior near Duluth on Saturday. The Federal Aviation Administration identified the plane as a Lancair IV. A Lancair spokesperson said the owner may have been aware of maintenance issues with the plane. The Coast Guard and St. Louis County Rescue Squad searched through heavy fog on Saturday to find any remnants of the single-engine plane that crashed near Brighton Beach.

Authorities said they found debris from the plane floating about a mile offshore. The St. Louis County Rescue Squad used sonar equipment to locate the wreckage 140 feet below the surface according to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Department.

“Then they dropped a remotely operated submersible vehicle onto the wreckage and they confirmed that there was human remains inside the aircraft,” Sergeant Neal Porter said.

He said the discovery came late Saturday night and the search was halted until Monday when specialized personnel can attempt to recover the body.

“We had to get some divers that can specifically dive to that depth,” Porter said.

An FAA spokesperson said the crashed plane was a Lancair IV and headed from Duluth to Goose Bay, a town in Canada.

Doug Meyer, director of sales and marketing for Lancair International, said that model is a kit plane that is typically built by amateur manufacturers.

Meyer said the plane that crashed near Duluth had been flown for years without issue, and it left Bend, Oregon on Friday.

“The current, and at the time new owner, I think is the third owner. The airplane was built, I don't know exactly, but it could have been 10 or 12 years ago,” Meyer said.

He believes the owner was a German man and an experienced pilot, but he said third party trainers refused to work with the owner due to maintenance issues with the plane.

“The subcontractors that were going to train him declined to do the training until that maintenance was completed. My information is the maintenance was not completed and the owner elected to fly the airplane home,” Meyer said.

An FAA spokesperson said a team of investigators is now in Duluth to continue searching for the cause of the crash but answers will have to wait until the wreckage can be removed from the depths of Lake Superior.

Officials with the Duluth Fire Department said the plane lost contact with the Duluth International Airport around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. Crews in search boats found a log book from the plane in debris about a mile offshore from Brighton Beach, according to Assistant Fire Chief Erik Simonson.

According to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, pieces of the plane were found underwater and other personal belongings were found on the surface.

Rescue Squad Captain Jeff Johnson was on one of the rescue boats on Saturday, and he said dense fog hampered the search all afternoon.

“In the fog, it's very thick. Things have an optical illusion aspect. Things in the water appear different than they actually are so you have to go over and verify what you're actually seeing,” Johnson said.

The fog dissipated around 6 p.m. on Saturday allowing a Coast Guard helicopter to join the search until the wreckage was found using the sonar equipment.http://www.wdio.com

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says a body has been found in a single-engine plane crash off of Brighton Beach.Authorities said a single-engine plane crashed into Lake Superior near Duluth Saturday morning.According to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, a body was found underwater just before 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. Deputies said the water is so deep that they have to hold off on the recovery until they can bring in commercial divers. They said they are keeping the scene secure.Officials with the Duluth Fire Department said the plane lost contact with the Duluth International Airport around 11:30 a.m. Crews in search boats found a log book from the plane in debris about a mile offshore from Brighton Beach, according to Assistant Fire Chief Erik Simonson.According to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, pieces of the plane were found underwater and other personal belongings were found on the surface.Authorities don't know what may have caused the crash and believe the pilot was the only occupant of the plane.Rescue Squad Captain Jeff Johnson was on one of the rescue boats, and he said dense fog hampered the search all afternoon.“In the fog, it's very thick. Things have an optical illusion aspect. Things in the water appear different than they actually are so you have to go over and verify what you're actually seeing,” Johnson said.He said crews tried to remain calm during the search.“You've got to stay focused. You can't let your emotions run the game,” Johnson said.The fire department left the scene around 2:30 p.m. as the St. Louis County Sheriff's Department and the St. Louis County Rescue Squad took over. A Coast Guard helicopter joined the search in the evening as well.http://www.wdio.com

CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard suspended its search late Saturday for the pilot of a single-engine aircraft that went down about 7 nautical miles east of Duluth, Minnesota, shortly after noon.

A debris field approximately 250 yards in diameter was located early in the search, and included jet fuel and the pilot’s log book. The canopy, fuel bladder and tail section were also found.

The St. Louis County Fire Department also located what appeared to be the plane’s engine and propeller by using side-scan sonar and a remotely operated vehicle.

Shortly after midnight, EDT, Sunday, the St. Louis FD reported that they had discovered the aircraft fuselage in 135 feet of water, with the pilot inside.

Plans have been made for divers to recover the body.

Involved in the search were aircrews from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Michigan, aboard a Dolphin helicopter, and crews from Coast Guard Station Duluth aboard a 45-foot response boat and a 25-foot response boat. Crews from the St. Louis County FD and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources also searched using surface vessels.9th District Great Lakes News ReleaseJune 07, 2014Ninth Coast Guard DistrictContact: Ninth Coast Guard District External Affairs OfficeEmail: D9PublicAffairs@gmail.comOffice: (216) 902-6020Mobile: (216) 310-2608Coast Guard, local agencies responding to downed single-engine aircraft near Duluth, Minn., in Lake Superior

CLEVELAND
— The Coast Guard and local agencies are responding to a report of a
downed single-engine aircraft with one person aboard, northeast of
Duluth, Minnesota, in Lake Superior Saturday afternoon.

The name and hometown of the person is not being released and there is no Coast Guard imagery.

Shortly
after 12:30 p.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie
received a report from personnel at the Duluth International Airport
tower of a single engine white and maroon airplane spiraling down with a
loss of communications approximately 7 nautical miles east of Duluth.

Sector
Sector Sault Ste. Marie issued an urgent marine information broadcast
that advises mariners of a situation, asks them to keep a sharp lookout,
assist if able and report all sightings to the nearest Coast Guard
unit. They also directed the launch of a rescue boat crew from Coast
Guard Station Duluth aboard a 45-foot response boat.

An aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City aboard a Dolphin helicopter was also requested to launch.

Responders
from local agencies have located a debris field approximately 250 yards
in length which included the pilots log book and jet fuel.

The
Coast Guard has established a safety zone around the area and pollution
responders from Marine Safety Unit Duluth have been notified.

The Duluth Fire Department plans to deploy a remotely operated vehicle to assist in the search.